So today was the first day I was brave enough to cycle all the way to work. It’s taken me a few weeks to build up the courage - it’s pretty scary out there!
I’ve been tentatively dipping my toe into commuting by bike for a while. This largely involved trialling sections of my route at the weekend. I really want to avoid the busy roads, so I managed to find a good route through tfl.gov.uk. The problem for me is that while a lot of this route is part of the London Cycle Network, it is so poorly signposted that I inevitably get lost.
Without a printed out map – plus my iPhone – to hand I would never have made it. Even so, I found myself pulling over half a dozen times just to relocate myself.
The roads I chose were largely quiet. I had to briefly dip in to a few big roads, but only to get across to the more tranquil streets. I had expected to find a few vans and lorries on my route, they were OK. The buses were fine. What really got to me were the other cyclists. They’re so aggressive!
The morning commute brings out a lot of ugly behaviour in Londoners. I already knew this from years of commuting on the train and tube - it’s odd to see it in fellow cyclists. They push past you at traffic lights, edging forward into busy intersections - if they had engines, they’d be revving.
Anyway, for all that, I still got in to work on time and unscathed. Now that I know how my route works, it’s only going to get easier each time. I’m actually looking forward to it! Just watch out for me at the next set of traffic lights, looking over my shoulder at you and revving my invisible engine.
